The easiest way to bypass the Passlock 2 system is to place a resistor between the passlock sensing wire and the ground reference wire. To find these wires, look for three wires that at some point are wrapped together, coming from the ignition barrel. Usually, they are orange/black, red/white, and black. They can also be yellow, red/white, and black.
Here's how you do it:
Cut the orange/black wire or the yellow wire, depending on what you have. Strip both ends of the wire, so you can reconnect them if needed. Next you must strip some of the insulation away from the black wire, exposing the copper inside. Now grab a reliable multimeter and set it to read Ohms. stick one probe into the exposed copper in the black wire, being careful not to touch it during the resistance test you are about to do.
Hold the other probe to the ignition side of the wire you cut in the earlier step. While doing this, crank the starter and note the resistance reading you get on the multimeter.
Next, arrange one or more resistors in a chain so that they add up to the value measured while cranking the starter. You can be within about 5% of the value, and it will be accepted by the passlock system as genuine.
Once you have assembled the resistors so they represent the correct value, tightly wrap one end of the resistor through and around the exposed copper of the black wire. You may solder this connection if you desire. Protect this wire by taping over the exposed metal.
Now you take the cut wire that leads toward the Passlock module (NOT toward the ignition barrel) and connect the other end of the resistor to this wire, being sure to tape it to protect against shorting. Once that is done, be sure to tape the exposed cut wire that leads to the ignition barrel.
If you have performed these steps correctly, your Passlock system will no longer give you any problems!
67 Comments
Hello fellow Colorado owners. Would just like you to know that I, along with many others, am having the same problem with the passlock system. It has become aggravating as well as very inconvenient! I called the Chevrolet Assistance Line for advice on how to go about bypassing the passlock system.. They advised that I should not try this, and should take it to a dealership. I asked to speak with someone in the engineering department to no avail. I told them that this is a design flaw and does not work as intended and that many other people are having the same problem.. So I think if enough people called to complain, they might consider an open recall. After all, this is a design flaw and I feel GM should be responsible for correcting it as they would any other design flaw in any of their models. This is definitely an issue. It could even be considered a safety issue. For those who are willing to call here is the number. 1-800-222-1020 (US) or 1-800-263-3777 (CANADA)
by Garth
I called the Chevy 800 number and explained the circumstances surrounding the intermittent starting problem with my 2007 Chevy Colorado. The lady who answered was probably in India from her accent and all she could do was refer me to the local Chevy dealership where I had already been. No help whatsoever. I had no idea that this has been a problem with Chevy trucks for so long and will never buy another Chevy truck since they are unreliable and the company is in denial. What planet are they on?
by kendact1
Idk if anyone else has called to have the brake light recall on there colorado i had it done on my 08 colorado 2 weeks ago and have not had this passlock no start problem since if you think about it all this is related seeing as it goes through the body control module just something to give a shot seeing as its a free recall
by joe
Just for the future reference of others, regarding the brake light switch--it is not technically a recall. It was a special extended warranty part through GM, and that warranty expired in late 2014. So don't go to the dealership expecting to get a free replacement at this point like I did (even after calling to confirm and getting false information). They'll charge you around $80 to replace the switch. You can order the part for around $10 and install it yourself or find a mechanic for much cheaper. Takes about 10 minutes for someone who knows how to install it. Cheers.
by zyylksk
I can't deal with this anymore. Every morning I have to wait 10- 15 minutes to get the my truck started. Sometime I got late to work because of this stupid issue. How can I solve this problem?
by chikanta
Show 62 more comments